Suffolk officials warn of new ‘gold bar scam’
Officials say it's targeting elderly people in the county.
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Suffolk top law enforcement officials are issuing a warning about a new scam, called gold bar scams.
"A few extra minutes of caution can protect a lifetime of savings," Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney said.
Officials say it's targeting elderly people in the county.
"Last month, an elderly woman in western Suffolk had ordered approximately $140,000 in gold," Tierney said. "She had answered a pop-up that had appeared on her computer and as a result, was told that her bank account had been compromised and she was further told that she needed to purchase a kilogram gold bar and turn it over in order to protect her money."
Officials were able to prevent her from losing her money.
Officials say in some cases, victims will hand the gold bars over to a courier.
They say scammers often scare the victims into keeping their interactions a secret.
In one case, the scammers knew the police were called.
"The scammer was actually monitoring the detective's and the victim's conversation at her home through the pop-up on her computer," Tierney said.
No arrests have been made in any of these cases yet.
The scammers are believed to be operating outside the county and even outside the country.
David Gordon, owner of Whitman Jewelry and Coins in Melville, said two customers have come to his store in the last six months wanting to buy a kilogram bar of gold.
"The first time it happened, everything seemed like a normal transaction," Gordon said. "No rush, it was a classic transaction. Then, when we found out afterwards, she was scammed. So on this next one, there was too many similarities that it just didn't sit right with us."
Gordon says it's normal for people to invest in gold.
But the kilogram bar inquiry raised concerns.
"Both victims were insisting on buying a kilo bar, which again, is unusual," Gordon said. "We called the detectives to say, please check this out."
Some Suffolk County legislators are now proposing a bill related to this.
It would require businesses to display a warning sign and impose a 48-hour hold on any first-time buyers attempting to purchase over $50,000 in gold and require its staff to conduct a brief interview with any purchaser who provides proof, based on their date of birth, that they are 60 years of age or older.
Gordon says he would hang that warning sign up in his store.
"Informing the customers, informing the kids of the their elderly parents be watching their money because they're good, the scammers are good," Gordon said.
Officials say if you get a call, text or notification like this, check with your bank or directly with the organization the person says they're calling from to verify if it's a scam and call the police.
